Pigeons - Racing Pigeons - Homing Pigeons

Whether you love them or hate them Pigeons are known around the world. In many places they are served as favorite foods. For people, not only for falcons!

The amount of scientific and historic data available on pigeons is astounding. Humans have been studying and racing and documenting these feathered friends or fiends almost since the beginning of time. Some of the earliest recorded bets on pigeon races have been noted in about the year 200 AD.

The pigeon raising and racing culture continues today with clubs, auctions and forums online. This hub is just the beginning of learning more about pigeons. Yes even passenger pigeons, long gone.

Those passenger pigeons once filled the American skies but were too easy to kill and eat. The last ones were kept in captivity and the very last one died in 1914 in the Cincinnati Zoo.

But that, dear friend is history. So lets get on with today's stories and information.

Pigeons can be very clean birds when kept in healthy environments. They are intelligent and adaptable.

Here are a few Pigeon Trivia facts just for fun:

Size

Number of breeds

National organizations

International organizations

In the wild pigeons may mate as many as 8 times each year when conditions are good. Usually they have 2 eggs at a time. Both parents care for the young. Eggs take about 18 days to hatch.  Both parents feed the baby birds.  The baby food is "pigeon milk" regurgitated partly digested food. Those small birds are referred to as SQUABS.  The squabs grow quickly and becomes "noisy" squeaking for food. They stay at the nest for about 2 months before they are ready to fledge. This actually improves their chances for survival in the wild.

What do pigeons eat? besides popcorn on the street!

How fast can a pigeon fly?

come back for answers and more questions

better yet, ask YOUR questions in the comments section...